“We’re all Leeds, aren’t we?” - well, Simon Rix is, that’s for sure. He loves the club.
The bassist from the city’s indie rock band, Kaiser Chiefs, is a lifelong Leeds fan – he’s been through the emotional lows, and the rare highs that come as part and parcel of being a Whites supporter.While the band have been performing across Europe in the build-up to the release of their new album, Stay Together, which comes out today (7th October), Leeds have been settling into life under Garry Monk in the Sky Bet Championship, sitting 11th after 11 games.
"I'm really excited about the new album, and Leeds under Monk,” Yorkshireman Rix told efl.com.
"We've had the album ready since May but we've been so busy with festivals. We can’t wait for people to hear our new tracks now.
"Playing festivals is something we enjoy most about being a band, we love getting up there in front of loads of people – festival crowds are always up for a good time.
"As for the football, I think he [Monk] could really build something. We were surprised by his appointment but the fans are really behind him.
"He's a young hungry manager, who is highly regarded in the football world, so it's actually a tick in Cellino's [Massimo Cellino – Leeds chairman] box for going out and getting a really good manager in.
"Since the transfer window closed, the side has settled and the results have started to come. We're playing well and long may it continue.”
Kaiser Chiefs’ affinity with Leeds United goes a little beyond watching from the Kop End on matchday.
Their name is inspired by former Whites skipper Lucas Radebe, whose first club was South African outfit, Kaizer Chiefs.
Since their formation, Rix and co have enjoyed continued success as a band. Their debut album Employment sold over three million copies, won three Brit awards, and was nominated for the coveted Mercury Prize. It spent 101 weeks in the charts and is one of the band's impressive five top-10 albums.
Stay Together is their sixth album as a band and they still possess the passion of Lucas Radebe during his playing days. Or, in today’s terms, that of Pontus Jansson.
Image: Leeds' Pontus Jansson makes a tackle
"Pontus Jansson is one of the new signings that the fans have grown to love already,” Rix enthused.
"At Leeds we love a great goal or a piece of skill, but some of the biggest cheers around Elland Road will be heard for a great challenge or a goal-line clearance.
"We've had some great centre-backs over the years from Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter, to Lucas Radebe and Jonathan Woodgate.
"He [Jansson] is that kind of player – he's passionate about Leeds, he's not afraid of a tackle, and he's a threat in the air."
A dream for any football fan is to play on their club’s hallowed turf and, although Rix may not have been kicking a ball into the net, he and his band mates certainly had Elland Road rocking in 2008.
More than 40,000 people packed the stadium out and that’s an experience Rix would love to feel again.
“I loved playing Elland Road, and I'd definitely do it again.
“It felt like a celebration as it was the year we reached the Play-Offs. The whole city was buzzing with football and music. It was a really special time.
“We've never played Wembley but I'd love to play it. I'm not sure how we'd pull it off but we'd give it a right good go.”
And, with that same Yorkshire passion, a right good go is what Leeds will do under Monk.
They won five of their last six outings in all competitions prior to the international break and, like every Leeds fan, what Rix craves is for his boyhood club to be back in the top flight.
“Promotion would bring a lot of pride back to Leeds. The city would have a football club to brag about again.
“When we first started out as a band, the club were flying and so were we. The city was bouncing – we’re proud of our own.”
With Leeds looking good under Monk, and Kaiser Chiefs’ album now out, the opportunity is there for the band and the football club to march on together.
Kaiser Chiefs' Stay Together is out now - click here to order!